Top of the Morning, Dec. 16, 2023
Dec. 16—Grabbing a bite with Joey Wright
On Saturdays, we chop it up with the folks responsible for dishing up food around the area. What restaurant should we try next? Let Joey Wright know at jwright@news-gazette.com.
Sam's Cafe has been a staple of downtown Champaign for nearly four decades.
Even longer if you count its years as Chris' Candy before current ownership took the reins.
"It actually took us by surprise (that we're among the oldest restaurants in Champaign-Urbana)," Ryan Issa said as he manned the grill on Friday afternoon. "We figured there was some other place that have been established longer. It's pretty awesome to have people talking about it."
Ryan — Sam Issa's son — has been around the business since he was 12 years old. He now works the floor, the grill and a bit of everything else.
"You see people come and go," Issa said. "The regulars here see me grow up, and I kind of see them get older. It kind of stays with you a little bit."
Most of the cafe's staff comes from within the family. Issa's aunt, Samar Dher, was working the grill alongside him on Friday.
Help has also come from the restaurant's loyal patrons over the years.
"Some of our staff were customers," Issa said. "They saw that we were busy, got off up off the table and said 'Hey, let me help you out.'"
Issa has a few favorite dishes from the breakfast staple: "The go-to is our breakfast special: eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes. That's pretty much the go-to. The French toast is pretty much what we're known for."
